Dochula Pass lies at 3,100 metres on the road between Thimphu and Punakha, and it is the first big climb eastward out of the capital. The road leaves the valley and winds up through forest of blue pine and rhododendron, in a long series of hairpin bends, to a saddle hung with thousands of prayer flags. Mist often fills the pass in the morning, giving the place a hushed, otherworldly look, and the temperature drops sharply, so a warm layer is needed even in summer.
On the pass stand one hundred and eight chortens, small stupas arranged in a mound, built in the early 2000s in honour of Bhutanese soldiers who had died in a military operation, and on behalf of the country's peace. A temple stands close by, and the whole site is a place of quiet reverence, where visitors walk clockwise around the stupas and spin prayer wheels. A festival is held here each December, with masked dances. On a clear day, especially in autumn and winter, the view opens to the great Himalayan peaks to the north, a long line of snow summits above the green ridges.
The road is the thing for a rider. The climb from Thimphu is steady and well surfaced, with sharp bends and gradients that call for care, and the descent to Punakha on the east side drops more than two thousand metres to a warm, subtropical valley in less than three hours. The change in vegetation is striking, from cold conifers to rice terraces and banana trees. Mist, rain and landslides can interrupt the route, particularly in the monsoon from June to September, and it is vital to keep to a moderate speed, and to expect cattle and trucks on blind corners.
A small cafe and snack stand at the pass sells hot tea and noodles, and the views are the reason to stop. Early morning gives the best chance of clear skies, though it is also the coldest. Yaks graze on the high slopes in winter, and prayer flags flutter in constant wind, sending their blessings across the valley.